There are several different ways of implementing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). For example, an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) can be used to allow a standard phone to connect to the Internet via a computer. The ATA includes an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a coder/decoder that converts the analog signals from the standard phone to digital data for transmission over the Internet. The coder/decoder may also perform coding/decoding and/or compression/decompression.
Internet protocol (VOIP) phones can be used instead of the standard phone and typically include an Ethernet connector such as an RJ-45 connector. VOIP phones connect directly to a router (or wirelessly to an access point) and directly handle the phone calls. Computers can also be programmed to perform as VOIP phones using an Internet connection and the microphone and speakers of the computer.
VOIP technology uses packet-switching capabilities of the Internet to provide phone service. VOIP has several advantages over circuit switching. For example, packet switching allows several telephone calls to occupy the same bandwidth occupied by only one call in a circuit-switched network.